Copper - Our Australian Shepherd

04-13-2008. Check out the last photo of Copper at the bottom of the page!

My dog's name: Copper

Hometown: Glendale Arizona

How we met: Breeder's daughter is my daughter's classmate and friend

What makes my dog special: Kimberly selected him from the litter when he was 6 weeks old. When all of the puppies were brought out into the yard to meet us, they all rolled over onto their backs to have their tummies rubbed. Kimberly chose between two red tri-color males. One puppy was more playful than the other so she chose him. Copper's brother, Milo, is still available and a very mellow puppy. I wish we could have taken them both.

Now, at the tender age of 4 months, Copper is a delightful family member who brings joy to all of us. He is all at once intelligent, playful, loyal, rambunctious, loving, adorable, and easy to train. He knows the difference between family, friends and strangers...which is anyone who is not family or friend such as anyone who comes to the door and rings the bell. He has a cute wiggle in his walk. His markings are simply beautiful. He gets his good looks from his mom, Shiloh. Copper is a very happy puppy especially when there are boys to play with at the park or in the yard. Copper can sit and stay and lie down on command. We are still working on being quite for he is quite vocal. He would easily be spoiled if we gave into his vocal demands for attention and or food every time but we don't and so domestic tranquility reigns He is tenacious and fearless. He is housebroken. He sleeps in his dog crate which we covered with a decorative throw and placed a rug and a thick, soft down throw inside. He has access to the backyard through a doggy dog and he is confined to a large kitchen with baby gates. Our 5 yr old black and silver tabby, 'Obie', joins him in the kitchen but if Copper gets too rough, Obie lets him have a swat or two and retreats to safer rooms in the house. We hope to keep him safe and sound and eventually join a local Aussie club for some training and companionship and maybe some competition. I am open to suggestions.

My dog's likes/dislikes: Copper shows some instinctive herding behaviors and if you are not careful you will trip over him. He loves people but especially children. He loves to play with our grandson, Ben, who is 9 years old and all boy. Copper also loves to walk on a leash from home to the neighborhood park where I let him loose and throw a ball and he runs to fetch it. He'll bring it back repeatedly for me to throw until we reach the playground. There, we engage in a game we call 'catch me if you can' where he runs in and around and up and over all of the playground apparatus while I try to tag him. He is fast and agile and loves to run through the sand. At home, he loves to lie down in a particular spot in the yard in the sun and just survey his surroundings. He does this too when we are going for a walk at night and he will sit and just look and listen intently at the neighboring homes and properties. He likes his Nylabone puppy bones and he loves to dig a shallow hole, places the bone in the hole and pushes the dirt over it with his nose. If he is in the house with a bone, he puts his paws up on the kitchen chairs and scratches at the chair pad and then sets the bone on top of the cushion. He never leaves these bones for long.